jacobs



Aug. 11, 1959 J. w. JACOBS 2,899,253

' DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Filed Sept. 29, 1955 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 n in 54 m as 7 50 7V 20 I9 .22 I

' INVENTOR.

M 22 6 |4 James W Jacobs BY 32 W. 62W

' His Attorney Aug. 11, 1959 J. w. JACOBS I 9 DOMESTIC APPLIANCE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 29, 1955 INVENTOR. James W Jacobs l m w. we. 6W4.

His Attorney Aug. 11 1959 J. w. JACOBS DOMESTIC APPLIANCE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 29, 1955 INVENTOR. James W Jacobs His Attorney Aug. 11, 1959 .1. w. JACOBS 2,899,253

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE Filed Sept. 29, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. 7

INVENTOR. James W Jacobs E a W His Attorney Unitd S a Patent t DOMESTIC APPLIANCE James W. Jacobs, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application September 29, 1955, Serial No. 537,473 1 Claim. (Cl. 312-257) This invention relates to a domestic appliance and more particularly to a kitchen cabinet and improved means for mounting a sectional kitchen cabinet.

The desirability of constructing kitchen cabinets in the form of interchangeable components has long been recognized but sectional cabinets are hard to fit together when mounted on floors which are not level.

It is an object of this invention to provide a kitchen cabinet in which a plurality of interchangeable components may be fitted together into one composite cabinet free of cracks at the joints between adjacent components.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved leveling means for use in supporting the kitchen cabinets so as to compensate for uneven floors and walls.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a sectional cabinet having built-in lights and electrical outlets and other improved features.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view showing a kitchen cabinet construction embodying the features of my invention;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing some of the cabinet parts prior to assembly;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale showing details of the cabinet mounting and aligning. means;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing one of the individual floor channel leveling devices;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on line 55 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a top view, with parts broken away, showing the door mounts; and

Figure 7 is a front view showing one of the door mounts.

For purposes of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawing some of the basic cabinet elements most commonly found in a modern kitchen whereas certain features of the invention are equally applicable to such kitchen components as electric ranges, refrigerators, dish Washers and the like.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawing, reference numerals 10 and 12 designate the kitchen floor and a wall, respectively, of a kitchen. Most kitchen floors are not perfectly level with the result that it becomes very diflicult to mount sectional cabinets in side-by-side relationship without there being objectionable crevices or gaps formed between adjacent components. These gaps can be eliminated if some means is provided for either leveling the floor or for propping up one or more corners of one or more of the components forming the cabinet. It is recognized that a large number of leveling devices have been used from time to time but these have not been very satisfactory for one reason or another. It

Patented Aug. 11,. 1959.

ice

has been found that once a suitable base element has been provided for aligning and leveling the rear edges of all of the component parts of the composite kitchen cabinet, it becomes relatively easy to mount the components of the cabinet without leaving ugly crevices the like between adjacent components.

In the construction shown in the drawings, an inexpensive, substantially rectangular-shaped channel element 14 is mounted on the floor adjacent the rear wall of the cabinet and this element is provided at spaced points with adjust-able floor engaging elements 16. Each of these elements 16 consists of a mounting stud which is provided with a lower screw-like portion 18 which is adapted to be screwed into the floor 10 so as to anchor the mounting stud in the floor. Each mounting stud also includes an upwardly projecting threaded shank 20 which adjust ably supports a channel engaging nut 22. The nut 22 is provided with a peripheral groove 24 which engages the edges of the narrow portion of the key-shaped slot 19 formed in the channel element 14, as best shown in Fig. 4. By adjusting the height of the nut 22 on the threaded shank 20, it is possible to adjust the height of the channel 14. The mounting studs 16 are insertable through the widest portion of the keyhole-shaped slots 19 which are provided at spaced points along the length of the channel 14.

By virtue of the construction shown, it is possible to use the adjustable mounting studs for raising and lowering the entire cabinet construction a limited amount so as to compensate for minor variations in ceiling height.

After the floor channel element 14 has been bolted to the floor by means of the mounting studs described hereinabove and properly leveled by adjusting the nuts 22, a plurality of free-standing vertical channels 30 are then mounted on the floor channels. These vertical channels have positioning prongs 32 (see Fig. 2), provided adjacent their lower ends for insertion into slots 34 in the floor channel 14. By virtue of this arrangement the prongs 32 prevent sidewise movement of the lower ends of the vertical channels 30 but permit the necessary rocking or pivotal movement of the channels 30 so as to make it possible to shift the upper ends of the vertical channels, if necessary, so as to arrange the vertical channels in a perfectly perpendicular relationship to a true horizontal plane. After the vertical channels 'have thus been installed, one or more base panels 36 and rear cabinet wall portions 38 are then secured to the vertical channels 30 by means of metal screws 40, as shown in Fig. 2. The screws 40 cooperate with the rear cabinet wall portion 38 so as to hold the vertical channels in the proper spaced relationship. In lieu of or in addi tion to the metal screw arrangement shown in Fig. 2, one can use an arrangement employing bolts 42 as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. Various types of free-standing vertical channels 30 may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention but in each instance the vertical. channels are supported on the horizontal channel 14.

The forward edge of the base panel 36 is supported by means of spaced adjustable height leg means 44, as best shown in Fig. 2. Each leg includes a lower slid- :able extension element 46 for engaging the floor. The extension element 46 is held in the proper adjustment by means of a screw 48 which, when tightened, serves to maintain the leg at the proper adjustment to hold the base 36 perfectly level. The base panel 36, rear cabinet wall portions 38 and the end panels 51 serve as a frame or skeleton frame.

For purposes of simplifying the illustration, Fig. 2 shows only the one cabinet section whereas any number of cabinet sections may be placed in side-by-side relationship. The length of the floor channel element 14 is preferably such that the one floor channel element extends throughout the full length of all of the cabinet sections that are combined into one composite cabinet. Any suitable form of kick panel element 50 may be used for closing the lower front portion of the cabinet; and for concealing the adjustable legs 44. ,End panels 51 are provided at each end of the floor-mounted cabinet and these are also provided with adjustable height legs, as shown in Fig. 2. Once the rear panel element 38 and the base panel 36 have been properly secured in place and properly levelled, the othercomponent parts of the cabinet are then added. Thus, a work surface or tabletop element 52 and suitable shelves 54 are assembled on 3 has its other end pivotally supported in a fixed bearing elethe skeleton framework just described. The work surface 52 would preferably extend the full length of the com-. posite cabinets so as to eliminate any splices between adjacent cabinet sections.

As best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, a vertical spacer element 60 is supported adjacent the rear edge of the table-top 52 and is spaced slightly from the rear wall of the kitchen so as to provide a clearance space 62 for an electrical conduit 64 and any water or gas pipes (not shown) which may be desired. The panel 60 not only serves to conceal the various conduits for the utilities such as the conduit 64 but also serves as a support for such items as the electrical outlet 66 and control switch 68.

An overhead cabinet element 70 is then supported directly above the spacer element 60 and is partially supported thereby. The overhead cabinet section 70 is secured to the vertical uprights 30 by means of suitable fastening means such as the screws 40. The overhead cabinet includes a hollow lower shelf which includes a pair of transparent plates 72 between which fluorescent lights 74 are located. These fluorescent lights may be turned on and off by means of the switch 68 ssupported on the spacer panel 60. These lights serve to light up the work surface 52 as well as to light up the storage compartment 76 directly above the uppermost transparent plate 72. In the cabinet construction illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing, a fluorescent light 78 has also been provided directly above the storage space 76 in the compartment 80. A transparent front panel 82 and a transparent lower panel 84 allow light from the fluorescent lamp 78 to light up the storage compartment 76 as well as the kitchen itself.

The various storage compartments of the cabinet are provided with door means such as the doors 90 and 92 shown in Figs. 6 and 7. It has been the customary practice in kitchen cabinets to use pivotally mounted doors or doors which slide in suitable guides carried by the cabinet framework whereas in the cabinet shown herein, the doors are preferably suspended by means of a pantograph mechanism which makes it possible to maintain the doors parallel to the door opening at all times. The pantograph mechanism would be basically the same for all of the doors and in order to simplify this disclosure only one illustrative pantograph mechanism has been shown.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7, reference numerals 94 and 96 designate a pair of pantograph arms which sup ment 104 which is likewise carried by the stationary part of the kitchen cabinet. By virtue of the above-described mounting arrangement, the doors may be opened by pulling outwardly on the same and the pantograph arms cause the doors to move parallel to the front of the kitchen cabinet. In the door mounting mechanism shown, the pantograph arms swing in a horizontal plane whereas they could be arranged to swing in a vertical plane, in which case the doors would move up and down rather than from side to side.

In Fig. 6 of the drawing the solid-line showing of the door represents the closed position whereas intermediate positions of the door 90 have been shown by the dot-dash lines.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred fom, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claim which follows.

What is claimed is as follows:

In a cabinet construction for mounting on a kitchen floor or the like, a horizontal support element adapted to be mounted on said floor adjacent the rear edge of said cabinet construction and having a slot in its upper surface, means for adjustably supporting said horizontal support element in a predetermined position relative to said floor, vertical support means having a tongue extending into said slot in said horizontal support element, a skeleton frame comprising a plurality of end panels having their rear edges secured to said vertical support means and each including means for individually adjustably supporting the forward edges of said frame elements so as to maintain said skeleton frame in a level position, means forming a work surface element resting on said skeleton frame, and means for securing said work surface element to said skeleton frame in a predetermined relationship to said vertical support means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

